Quick Preserved Lemons

I desperately needed some Preserved Lemon when I made my Turkey B’Steeya the other day – and had none on hand, nor did I have a clue as to where I could find some. A search ensued, on the internet, because I knew from time to time I’d seen “quick” preserved lemon recipes.

Preserved Lemons

Of course, quick is relative here, but rather than waiting for weeks for the salt to work on the lemons in the time honored method, the quick version relies on the lemons going into a very slow oven for two to three hours. Luckily, this is mostly hands-off time, just a stir now and then.

Preserved Lemons

I can be a bit of a purist and admittedly a bit of a food snob from time to time and frankly, I like a jar of preserved lemons on my back counter, working away. I really couldn’t tell the difference, though!

Preserved Lemons

I did look at a lot of different recipes and came up with a basic formula: A tablespoon of salt per lemon. Also, thin skinned lemons are better, if you can find them, and the amount of time varies with how the lemons are cut. Chopped or sliced across seems to work in about two hours, a pole to pole slice in about three.

The lemons need to be thoroughly scrubbed if they are coated in wax. I found dropping them in a bowl with one part vinegar to 3 parts water and dipping my scrub brush into the water as I used it made it a bit easier.

To tell the truth, I’m not sure! I know sometimes at the store in the bins, we have thicker skinned lemons, like the ones I ended up using (didn’t get quite as soft) and other times they’re thinner – but I bet Meyers would work absolutely perfectly.

Thanks, and I know I feel the same way. Sometimes with so many great blogs out there (not to mention ones like the Kitchn, Food Network, Epicurious) I feel a little redundant – but a little kind comment like yours helps keep me going! 🙂